How to Fix a Hairline Crack in Toilet Tank

By
Douglas Orr Plumbing Inc.
|December 18, 2014

A hairline crack may not seem too harmful for your toilet tank and you might actually disregard its effects. The truth is, even if it’s only a minor damage, it still needs to be attended to and fixed immediately. Otherwise, it may expand or deepen which can sooner or later make the tank leak or break. And you know what happens when a plumbing fixture leaks. Water will be wasted and your bill will skyrocket even if you don’t want to. With this being said, we recommend that the cracks be patched and repaired ASAP. Here’s a DIY guide you can follow.

1. First and foremost, you have to turn the water supply off. You will find the valve behind the toilet. When you’ve turned the valve off, flush the toilet to drain the tank.

2. Lift the lid carefully and scoop out any standing water inside. Use a sponge to absorb any remaining water.

3. Now get a pair of pliers and disconnect the supply line from the tank. Finish the task by wiping the tank with chamois cloth to ensure that it’s completely dry.

4. When the tank is already dry, get the repair kit and mix the epoxy as instructed.

5. Carefully apply the epoxy onto the hairline crack both from the inside of the tank and onto the outside surface. Leave it to dry for the next 12 hours.

6. When the epoxy has dried, get a fine-grit sandpaper and sand the excess epoxy on the tank’s exterior. Of course, that should be removed to make the tank look good again.

7. After that, reconnect the water supply line to the toilet tank. Tighten it up to ensure that there won’t be leaks. You can use your pliers for this task.

8. Turn the water valve on to refill the toilet tank. When it has already filled up, flush the toilet to ensure that it’s working.